The Russellville Democrat., 1887-09-14
Observation-Disclosures.

ThAEMAN GPKlNGs, Oept. - Was
much gratitied to notice in last
weeks issue of your valuable paper
that one of Russeilyilles leading bus
mess men had capital TO put into a
canning factory there when necessa
ry arrangements were made to es
tablish one. That such grateful
enterprise, and, one that is so much
needed in Pope county, to utilize
and turn Into profit the many thous
ands of dollars worth of fruit and
vegetables that are annually thrown
away or lost, would be paying in
yestment no intelligent business man
can possibly doubt. II a number Of
enterpTIsing business men with suf-
ficient capital would establish can
ming factory at Russellvile, with a
capacity to consume the fruit and
vegetables that would be grown to
supply 1t, / venture the assertion
that in two years from the time it
commenced operations there would
be realized by the company one
hundred per cent. on investment.
THIS may seem like idle talk to some
OF yonr readers, yet | speak that
whereof ! know, ! know it by IN
doubted information and my own
personal knowledge Of such enter
prlses.
That which has been accomplished
in some of the eastern states in such
enterprises under more unfavorable
circumstances than would be met
with here, can with the right kind
of management be made positive
success in Russellville. / have t:av.
eled to some extent in many of the
fruit growing states, and | will war
rant the assertion, should a compa-
ny having In view the tablishment
of a canning factory in locality es
pecially adapted to the business,
there could not be found place,
throughout the United States better
suited to the business than Russell
vile or some town on the L. r. d
Fit. Smith r. r., centrally located to
such fine and extensive fruit and
vegetable growing belt as is found
in Pope and other counties border
ing the r. r. The benefits to be
derived from such an enterprise is al
most incalculable. It would encourage
q disposition among the farmers to
University crops, and would give them
employment during idle months.
There would be but little excuse for
giving mortgages TO secure credit
for supplies, as it would bring into
your town and thence to the country
money sufficient TO enable nearly
every one to pay cash for the neces
sary home comforts. Under the
present system and prices, there is
but little or no profit in the ALL cot
ton mode of farming to either pro
ducer or purchaser, and if followed
up closely it will soon bankrupt
both parties. There is a town in
Miss, Crystal Springs) on the |. c.
r. r. which had three years ago
population and business to about the
same extent of your town, and which
had become almost bankrupt by ex-
tensive cotton growing To the exclu
sion of other crops. There were sew
eral live enterprislng merchants who
saw if something was not done their
town and country adjoining would
inevitably be ruined, hence they en-
couraged by every possible means
vegetable and fruit growing among
the cotton planters. To show you
the result Of their efforts wall quote
to you from letter of July Sth last
from the cashier of the Merchants
and Planters Bank of Hazlehurst,
Miss, a rival town in the same coun-
ty, IN which he says: "There is
disposition among the farmers here
to diversity their crops. At Crystal
Springs, the vegetable and fruit bus.
mess has developed into large pro.
portions. 1t is estimated that their
receipts there this season will aggre.
gate $4,000 for vegetables alone.
Their main crop and most paying
one is tomatoes. Their average ship
ment up to this time has been about
five car loads per day, and on one
day as many as eleven car loads were
shipped. This may seem strange
to you no doubt as such a thing had
not been thought of when you left
here" From this you may see what
our people in Pope county are annu,
ally loosing on these crops, for the
want Of an enterprise that will put
such crops on a paying market.
The income from this source could
be made more profitable here, from
the fact the country is better adapt
ed to truck farming. An, to the an
nual receipts of Re-, ,ellville, say
100000 for vegetabl WSf md fruit, and
you Will, as was s,a-~---sse of the town |
referred to, see quite change IN
business circles. In fact 5000, 900 |
from such an industry would be
equivalent to the receipts from near.
" 1000 bales of cotton, and the prof |
its arising therefrom would amount
to more than the net gam on 5000 |
bales, with one tenth the labor, and |
ten times more pleasure to producer
and buyer.
In conclusion win say, ga word |
TO the wise is sufficient" Have |
canning factory. II the above is
worthy place in your columns please
publish. II not, have a factory any
way, it is paying institution.
Respectfully,
Nj l.. ELLIS.
Correspondence ofthe Democrat.
Pea RIDGE, Ark, Sept. 6.---Health I
good, only one or two cases of bad |
sickness Cotton picking opened |